Ne-Gi-Ma!
by NinjaGogeta
Summary: The Thousand Master was one of the greatest duelists of his time. However, ten years ago he vanished, never to be seen again. Now his son, Negi Springfield, finds himself at Mahora Duel Academy. But Negi isn't there to learn - he's there to teach!
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is something that I've had knocking around for a while. Now, I have written in the past both a Naruto/Yugioh crossover, and a Naruto/Negima crossover. However, ever since the end of the Naruto manga I have 100% gone off Naruto as a series. All the way back when Obito was revealed to be Tobi I'd been losing steam with the series. By the time Kaguya appeared, it had lost me entirely. I only stuck through to the final chapter out of a sense of obligation to the first manga I ever owned a volume of.**

 **Ever since Naruto lost me, I've had no desire to really write Naruto fanfiction. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with that fact. After all, most of my early stories were Naruto crossovers, especially my more popular ones. It is honestly a big part as to why I cancelled Let's Throw Down Dattebayo and Seat Number 32.**

 **However! I still like Yugioh! I still like Negima! So, I thought, why not combine them instead?**

 **I decided to publish what I've got written of this story to see if there's any demand for it. The duel that takes place is all written out, with just a few end details to iron out. Since it's such a big duel, I've decided to split it into three parts, and release those parts weakly. It is my hope that I've gotten enough interest to truly kick me into gear and start this story for real.**

 **So, yeah, if you liked either the GYGOD series, Seat Number 32, or even both, the maybe you might enjoy this story? I know it's a lot to ask to ask you to get invested in this when my track record is awful, but I want to pull myself out of this slump in my writing however I can.**

 **So, yeah, on with the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter One- Bolt out of the Blue (part one)

* * *

Duel Monsters

What was once a simple children's trading card game has turned into a worldwide phenomenon. Played by children and adults alike, Duel Monsters has taken the world by storm. Incredible technology has been created to improve the duelling experience, even reaching the point where one can physically interact with hard-light holograms of the cards themselves. The game has persisted for decades, and with the recent release of Link Summoning it doesn't look like it's going to be slowing down any time soon.

Dozens of schools have popped up all around the world with the intention of teaching children how to play the game, and to teach them the skills that will get them jobs in the many facets of the Duel Monsters world. Duellists, commentators, card designers, software developers, teachers; all these and more have come from the duel schools.

And the most famous of all is Mahora Duel Academy.

Separated into elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and Universities, the Mahora campus is one of the largest educational facilities in the whole world. It is certainly the largest duel school in the world. In this academy standards are high, for both students and the staff. In fact, Mahora is famous for its gruelling entrance requirements, especially for the teachers themselves. Every single teacher at Mahora Academy must duel fifteen students in a single class without losing once. Only then will they prove themselves worthy of teaching the up and coming, top duelling talent of tomorrow.

This test is infamous for its gruelling difficulty. And it is this infamous test that our hero must now pass.

Good luck, Negi Springfield!

* * *

On a day as bright and sunny as this, one might not think that anything bad could happen. However, sometimes even the brightest of suns can't reach into the darkest of alleys. And in the expansive Mahora campus there are many twists and turns, and alleyways are abundant. Many are in fact perfectly viable shortcuts to get from place to place swiftly, a must for many a rushing student. And like any good opportunity, there are naturally those who leap at the chance to take advantage of them.

In one shady alley stands several teenagers, and not all of them are friendly. In fact, out of the six children there, only two of them could be called such. They were also the only girls there, their clear aggressors all male. Three of the four boys—teenagers—stand in the alleyway entrance, blocking the path. The fourth, the youngest of the group, stands ahead of them, his left arm raised with a cheap Yukihiro Group duel disk secured to it. On the device are Duel Monsters cards, and projecting from the same device are holographic representations of said cards.

Opposite the boys are the girls. One stands behind the other, watching the scene with a nervous energy that leaves her unable to stay still. The other stands directly opposite the duel disk wielding boy, with one of her own firmly attached to her left forearm. Unlike the boy's, hers is much more advanced; one of the brand-new, high-end models from the Yukihiro Group. Projected from a wrist held device, was a blade of orange hard-light with a single card on it. In turn, a monster was projected in front of her.

The wielder of the advanced duel disk had a truly noteworthy appearance, with her hair tied up into pigtails, tied with little bells. Her most obvious feature was her heterochromatic eyes; one blue, one green. Below the odd eyes was a cocksure grin, and the girl's body language showed complete confidence in her strategy. A confidence her friend didn't seem to have, but didn't comment on.

"Alright you jerks, you're gonna regret messing with us." The girl told her opponent, her confident grin almost smug in nature. "Especially now that I've Summoned my Odd-Eyes Dragon!" The stout dragon let out a roar, it's red and blue eyes gleaming even in the shade.

ATK- 2500

"I don't know what you were even thinking!" She said, closing her eyes and raising her arms in a shrugging motion. "After all, isn't it obvious that we're students from Mahora Academy? Why would a bunch of thugs like you guys even think you could win? You don't stand a chance against me!"

"Asuna…don't forget you're at the bottom of our class…" Her friend said, frowning slightly at Asuna's bragging.

Asuna promptly fell on her face.

"Geez Konoka!" She screeched, jumping up and yelling at her friend, her arms pointing straight down, fists clenched. "They don't need to know that!" Her yelling was cut off as her opponent started chuckling. His laughter set of his friends, and soon they were all laughing. Asuna stopped glaring at Konoka, and switched it to them instead. "Hey, what's so funny?" They continued to laugh, and Asuna growled as her eye brow ticked. "HEY!"

Her opponent stopped laughing, prompting the others to stop as well. It was a gradual thing, but they soon managed to bring their chuckling to a halt.

"Of course we knew you were from Mahora Academy! How could we not with those fancy duel disks on your arms? It's exactly why I challenged you to this Ante Duel, after all."

"Ante Duel?" Konoka repeated, her small frown deepening. "You never said anything about an Ante Duel!"

The leader apparent of the boys laughed again. "Sorry, did I forget to mention that part? I tend to forget about little details like that. Sorry."

"You don't look all that sorry." Asuna muttered. She shook her head and looked him straight in the eyes. "Whatever, that doesn't matter!" Her grin came back and she pointed at him. "You should have kept quiet about it, because now not only are you going to lose this duel, but also your rarest card too!"

Konoka bit the inside of her lip, looking at Asuna with worry. 'Asuna, are you really willing to risk that card for some pointless duel like this? Your most precious and beloved card?'

The boy smirked and looked at her Odd-Eyes Dragon. "I knew you rich kids had rare cards, but I never would have guessed you'd have a card this rare!" He threw his head back, laughing loudly. "This is great! I knew my plan was good! Waiting in one of the shortcuts to Mahora in the hopes that some dead last, Academy loser like you would come by was so worth it! If I keep this up my whole Deck will be full of super rare cards!" His lackeys joined in the laughter.

"Take another look at the field!" Asuna said. "My Odd-Eyes is more than enough to destroy your monster!" On the boy's side of the field was also a single monster, a humanoid wolf with four arms.

ATK-2000

"Maybe, maybe." He smirked. He then pushed a button on his duel disk. "Now then, I activate my Trap card!"

"A Trap card?" Asuna repeated, her grin slipping a little.

"Oh no, Asuna's Deck isn't built to deal with Trap cards!"

"My Slip Summon Trap card lets me Special Summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my hand in Defence Position when my opponent has Summoned a monster! And since you Summoned your Odd-Eyes Dragon just now, I can Special Summon a monster of my own! I Special Summon Shiba-Warrior Taro in Defence mode!"

A little puppy with a bandana around its neck and a little bone dagger strapped to its side emerged from the revealed Trap card, crouching down next to his other monster.

DEF-600

"Is that it?" Asuna asked, looking at the tiny monster with a smirk. "What will that cute little puppy possibly do to help you? My Odd-Eyes will completely destroy it on the next turn, after it's dealt with your Gene-Warped Warwolf!"

"It won't even be around on your next turn." Konoka said.

"Huh?" Asuna blinked and looked at Konoka. "What do you mean?"

"A monster Special Summoned by Slip Summon returns back to the hand during the End Phase of the turn the Trap is activated." She explained.

Asuna blinked again, then looked back to her opponent. "What was the point of that, then? You just wasted your Trap card."

"Huh? Really?!" He exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "Oh man, I can't believe I made such an amateur mistake!"

"Hah!" Asuna laughed, smirking at him. "And you thought you could beat someone from Mahora Academy? You don't even know how to use your own cards!" She pointed at Gene-Warped Warwolf. "Alright Odd-Eyes Dragon, wipe away his monster! **Spiral Flame**!" As Odd-Eyes built the attack up in its mouth the boy covered his eyes.

"Oh no, I screwed up!" His hands dropped. "Just kidding." His smirk returned and he quickly pressed another button. "I activate my second Trap card!"

"Another one?"

Konoka's eyes widened when she saw what the Trap card was. "Oh no, not that card!"

"I activate the Trap card, Urgent Tuning! I can activate this card during the Battle Phase. Doing so allows me to use monsters on my side of the field in an on-the-spot Synchro Summon!"

"A Synchro Summon! No way! How does a guy like you have a Synchro Monster?!" Asuna asked, shocked at this turn of events.

"Isn't it obvious? I won it off some Mahora kid, like you! Now, by tuning the Level 4 Gene-Warped Warwolf with the Level 2 Tuner monster Shiba-Warrior Taro I can summon a whole new beast!" Gene-Warped Warwolf jumped into the air, and Shiba-Warrior Taro dispersed into blue energy. "Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius! You who Scorch the Heavens! Tear Apart These Earthbound, Toothless Dogs!" Green rings appeared above Gene-Warped Warwolf and it entered them. It turned into a beam of light that pierced through the rings. "Synchro Summon! Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!" Out of the light appeared a bipedal blue wolf covered in spikes, with two wolf heads for hands.

ATK- 2400

Asuna stared at the imposing monster for a moment, before grinning. "I have to admit you surprised me with a Synchro Summon, but that monster is still too weak to beat my Odd-Eyes Dragon; it's got a 100 attack point difference! You would have been better off keeping your other monsters around." Once again, she pointed at his monster. "Odd-Eyes Dragon use your **Spiral Flame**!"

"No Asuna, wait!" Konoka yelled, but it was too late. Odd-Eyes' attack hit the Synchro Monster, destroying it instantly.

Boy- 3900

"The attack difference might not have been all that much, but Odd-Eyes' effect more than makes up for it! When it destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to half of its attack points!"

The boy gave an irritated scoff as his points dropped further.

Boy- 2700

"No matter how much you defend from now on, with Odd-Eyes' effect I can damage you anyway!" Asuna glanced over her shoulder. "I don't know why you were so worried Konoka. I've got this in the bag!"

"Take a look at your monster before saying anything else you dead last!" The boy taunted.

"What are you talking abo- AH! Odd-Eyes!" Before Odd-Eyes had been the size of a van, but now it barely reached her knees. "Hey! what gives?!"

Konoka sighed and decided to explain. "When Blue Sirius is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, one of the opposing monsters loses 2400 attack points." Konoka gave a weak smile as Asuna gaped over her shoulder. "You'd know that it you kept up with your studies, Asuna."

"So that means that…"

"Your Odd-Eyes Dragon has been nerfed!" The boy crowed.

ATK-100

"Odd-Eyes, no!" Asuna gasped, staring at her ace monster in horror.

"Ha ha haa! Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius's **Blue Sublimation** has rendered your monster useless!" He covered his left eye with his hand as he laughed some more. "Oh man, this is gold! Do you even have any concept of strategy?! How did you even get into Mahora Academy anyway? Probably bought your way in like all of you rich kids do!"

"No way…He's just some kid…" Asuna muttered, falling to her knees.

"Asuna…" Konoka clutched her arms, biting her lip as she looked at her friend. 'Why did we have to get into this kind of situation?' She looked at Asuna's opponent. Despite being a few years younger than them, he was very good.

The kid gave a feral grin and placed a hand on his Deck.

"Now then, it's my turn."

* * *

 **{Approaching Mahora Academy Campus}**

A monotonous female voice announced the arrival of a train at Mahora Train Station. More importantly in terms of this story, it announced the arrival of our protagonist. Said hero was grateful that the journey had ended. Teenage girls could be very hands on with cute things, especially unsupervised ten-year olds. Rubbing his sore cheek, Negi Springfield stepped out of the train, moving out of the way of the outflow of hurrying students.

Making his way through the train station, he marvelled at all the teenagers moving in one direction. He figured that if he followed them he'd more than likely end up at his destination. Clutching his backpack tightly he took off in a light jog, following a group of girls, assuming they were heading in the same direction. He kept a respectable distance from them, being the little gentleman that he was. As he went, he absorbed the sights.

"Wow, Japan sure is incredible!" Negi breathed out, staring around in awe at his surroundings. "To think that all of this is just one campus!" He returned his gaze forward, a small, excitable smile forming on his face. "I'm one step closer to becoming an incredible duellist!"

"NOOOOO!"

Negi stopped in his tracks. His eyes were wide as he considered what he just heard. "Is somebody in trouble?" He clutched his bag tighter, his face contorting into a grimace. With a solid nod he took off in the direction of the scream. He ran around a corner, and he saw three teenage boys and a kid his age leaving an alleyway. They seemed to be laughing about something. "Excuse me!" He called out, waving his hand to grab their attention. The four stopped and looked at him. "Yes, hello!" He ran up to them, stopping just short of them.

"What do you want?" The kid asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Negi smiled, but it was distracted in nature. "Erm, did any of you here a scream just now? It sounded like somebody was in trouble." His question got a response but it wasn't one he was expecting. The three older guys started chuckling, and the kid gave him a wolfish grin.

"What a good guy you are, running to help at the first hint of trouble."

Negi blushed a little. "I don't know about that…" He giggled, feeling a little sheepish at the praise; the kid huffed a laugh.

"Don't worry yourself about it. There's no one in trouble or nothing. Just some spoilt brat who couldn't handle losing a simple duel."

Negi looked down at the old-style Duel Disk on the kid's wrist. He returned his line of sight back to the kids face. "Someone lost a duel?" Negi looked left to right. He blinked when he saw two girls in a nearby alleyway. One was on her hands and knees, orange hair covering her eyes. The other was kneeling next to her, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. "Ah!" He ran over to the pair, kneeling next to the clearly devastated girl. "U-Um, d-don't be sad!" He exclaimed. Konoka looked at him in surprise, whereas Asuna didn't as much as twitch. He waved his arms about as he spoke. "U-Um, we all lose sometimes, but that means we can learn from it and get better!"

"Shut up!" Asuna yelled, raising her head up to glare at the poor boy. Negi yelped and flinched back. Losing his balance, he fell on his behind. "What do you know?! Who are you anyway?"

Negi just stared.

Taking pity on him, Konoka spoke up. "It's nice of you to say that, but it's a bit worse than a simple loss." She smiled a little, before turning a small glare to the four boys who were still standing just outside of the alley. "They challenged us to a duel, neglecting to tell us that it was an Ante Duel from the start."

"An Ante Duel?" Negi gasped, looking back to Asuna, who looked back down.

"Asuna continued the duel, but she lost, so that boy took her rarest card."

"'Course I continued, what duellist wouldn't?" Asuna clenched a fist, her shoulders shaking a little. "What kind of duellist would I be if I gave up just 'cus I was scared I'd lose a card?" Her other fist joined the first, and she shook her head.

"But Asuna, that was one of your most precious belongings!" Konoka argued. "They said it was an Ante Duel halfway through so it shouldn't even count!"

"Hey, we warned her." The other boy said, taking a step forward. Negi looked back to him, finally seeing his grin for what it was- mean. "So what if we only told her halfway through, she still agreed to it in the end. Besides," he pulled a card out of his pocket "a loser like her doesn't deserve a card like this in her Deck! That honour should belong to someone worthy, like me!" He looked at it, holding it up into the light. "I admit it's not really my style, but it'll do!" He returned the card to his pocket. "Well, laters!" He and his lackeys turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!"

The boy stopped, and Asuna looked back up. Negi was standing behind the boy with his duel disk raised. His expression was determined, staring daggers at the leader.

"I challenge you to a duel!" He narrowed his eyes. "An Ante Duel!"

"You want to duel me? An Ante Duel? ME?!" The boy laughed, resting a hand on his hip. "Why would I want to duel some random kid? You see, them," he pointed at Asuna and Konoka with his other hand, who were watching the scene with looks of shock, "them I challenged because they're students from Mahora Academy. You know, that super elite duel school for rich kids? I knew that spoiled brats like them would have the rarest of rare cards to use, like the card I took from that orange chick." He closed his eyes, smirking in a superior manner. "So yeah, unless you've got some super rare card why would I waste my time with you?"

"Rare cards, is that all you care about?" Negi asked, looking at the devastated form of Asuna, then glared back at the boy. "Don't you care about someone's bonds with their cards? Everyone has a card or cards that they love, be them rare or common! Taking somebodies precious belonging just because they're rare is unforgivable!"

"I'm gonna guess from that little speech that you don't." The kid said, and Negi gave a little smirk.

"I never said that." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his Duel Monsters Deck and fanned it out with one hand. Plucking a card from it, he held it up with the back facing the others. "If it's a rare card you want, then I've got one right here!" He turned his hand, revealing the card.

"No way!" The boy's gaze was focused solely on the card. He opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to say anything further. It took a minute, but he finally found the words. "Th-That's one of the legendary Spell cards, Raigeki!"

"Raigek?i!" Konoka's mouth fell open.

Asuna frowned, moving from her position and sitting on her knees. "What's so great about it?" She asked.

Konoka snapped her head in her direction, and Asuna flushed at her expression.

"I-I mean, it sounds familiar…I guess…"

Konoka just continued to stare at her for a moment. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "Oh Asuna…"

"So what do you say, is this worth your time?" Negi asks him, and the kid snapped out of his daze.

He took in Negi's smirk, and quickly glanced back to the card. His own smirk crept back, and he chuckled. "I don't know where a guy like you got a card like that, but I'll be more than glad to take it off you! Just don't cry when you lose it."

Meanwhile, Konoka was educating her friend.

"In Duel Monsters there are cards that are so powerful that they're banned from being used in tournaments and/or official matches. But there are three Spell cards so incredibly powerful that they were not only banned, but every single copy was recalled and destroyed. However, rumour has it that one day, one copy of each of these cards was made and placed in random booster packs. There was even a new official rule that said that they were unbanned. It was thought to just be a rumour to boost sales, but a lot of people believed it to be true. And seeing as Raigeki was one of those cards, it looks like it really was true after all."

"No way! How does a squirt like him have a card that rare and powerful?"

Konoka shrugged, smiling at Asuna's gaping expression. "Who knows?" Her smile turned upside down and she looked outside the alley. "I just hope he doesn't lose it. I don't like the idea of what a guy like that could do with a card that powerful." Asuna scowled at the roundabout reminder of her own loss. Konoka stood up. "Come on, let's go and get a good spot to watch." Konoka reached her hand out, and Asuna took it, pulling herself up with a grunt.

"Are you sure about this pal?" The boy asked, his duel disk armed and ready to go. "I'm not going to go easy on ya', so your Raigeki is as good as mine."

"But only if you win." Negi reminded him, taking his own duel disk (the same model as the boy's) out of his bag and putting his Deck into it; after shuffling it, obviously.

"If? You mean when."

"Not at all, because I will win, and when I win you'll give me Asuna-san's Odd-Eyes Dragon."

Asuna gasped, before narrowing her eyes into a glare. 'That damn brat…' Her hands clenched into fists.

"You mean _my_ Odd-Eyes Dragon." The boy jeered.

'Both of these damn brats!'

"If we're going to duel it is only proper that I know your name. My name is Negi Springfield, what is yours?" Negi asked a very sensible question. After all, constantly referring to him as boy and kid was getting frustrating.

"Heh, fine, my name's Kotarou Inugami! Remember it when you cry home to mommy so you know who to blame for losing your rarest card!"

The two boys stood metres apart, hands hovering over their duel disks. The air became tense, and those few who made up the audience were still. A leaf, free of its intense journey in the air currents of the city sized campus, drifted towards the ground. Once it hit the ground, both sides jumped into action.

"DUEL!"

* * *

Chapter end

* * *

 **Ok, so maybe the duel doesn't take place this week. Honestly, I'd forgotten how much I'd written. But rest assured, the duel is at least twice the length of this chapter alone, so I hope you look forward to it!**

 **Please, feel free to tell me what you think, and hopefully I'll see you next week.**

 **Until then!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Bolt out of the Blue (part two)

* * *

"I will go first, if that's ok with you." Negi didn't wait for an answer as he took a card from his hand, slapping it onto his duel disk. "I Summon the Mist Valley Watcher in Attack Position!" A man with birdlike hands and feet, clad in glasses and a poncho appeared on the field.

ATK-1500

"I will leave it there for my turn." Negi said, smiling at his monster.

"My turn, draw!" Kotarou swiped the top card on his Deck, probably with more flair than necessary but there you go. "If you're going to start off small, then I guess I'll do the same. I summon the ferocious Wolf in attack mode!" As might be expected from its name, what appeared was nothing but a simple grey wolf. And like any wolf, it growled in an intimidating manner.

ATK-1200

"Is that it? Some half-bit doggy?" Asuna complained, and the two duellists finally noticed her and Konoka watching. "How did I lose to this kid again?" She shook her head, and Kotarou smirked.

"Don't underestimate my Wolf. Because when he's combined with the Equip Spell card Beast Fangs, his bite is far worse than his bark!" Wolf's teeth became even larger than before, with its incisors turning gold.

ATK-1500

"Now Wolf is as strong as my Mist Valley Watcher." Negi observed, pushing his little glasses up as they slipped a little. "If it attacks now then both monsters will be mutually destroyed."

"Normally you'd be right, but the thing about wolves is that alone they're deadly, but in a pack they're unbeatable!" Kotarou took another card from his hand and inserted it into his duel disk. "I play the Quick-Play Spell card The Big March of Animals. Until the end phase of this turn all Beast-Type monsters I control have their attack power increased by 200 points for each Beast-Type monster on my side of the field." Wolf howled as it split into two wolves.

ATK-1700

"With that much attack power, Mist Valley Watcher will lose!" Konoka commentated, frowning in worry.

Kotarou grinned, if I may, wolfishly.

"That's right! You're clearly the smart one out of the two." Asuna growled, but said nothing, knowing she was in no position to argue. "Now my wolves, tear his birdman a new one! **Lupine Assault**!" The wolves howled and sprinted towards Mist Valley Watcher.

Negi grimaced as they leapt, watching his monster get torn apart with the savage efficiency wolves were known for.

Negi- 3800

"I'll end it there for now. Like a wolf, I like to take my time before taking down my prey." With his turn ending, Kotarou's Wolf copy vanished, leaving only the original standing before him. "Your move, Negi."

Negi nodded.

"My turn, draw." He drew a card, and smiled at what he got. "I Summon the Mist Valley Shaman in attack mode." A woman with long blonde hair and a headband with a red eye appeared, kneeling down on the ground with her arms out.

ATK-1200

"Another weak monster!" Asuna said, frowning at the kneeling woman, before she blinked. "Wait, he must be planning on powering her up with a Spell card!" She nodded, certain of her analysis.

Negi sweat-dropped. He scratched his cheek, glancing over to her. "Um, not quite. B-But nice try, Asuna-san!"

Kotarou snickered when she faltered, her nodding ceasing. "Wow, what made you think something like that?" He shook his head. "Talk about simpleminded."

"You literally just did the exact same thing that I just said!" She snapped, glaring with heat in her eyes. "If anyone's simpleminded here it's you!"

"U-Um, can I continue now, please?" Negi interrupted the banter. Seeing that the two were done with their squabble—or were at least putting it on hold—he sighed. "Thank you. Next I activate an effect from my hand. By returning my Mist Valley Shaman to my hand from the field I am able to Special Summon Mist Condor directly from my hand." Mist Valley Shaman turned into mist, which soon reformed into a new monster. A large blue bird with a small skull hanging from its neck formed where Mist Valley Shaman had previously been standing.

ATK-1400

"Are you really sending a bird to fight against a Wolf?" Kotarou laughed, expression condescending as he looked down on Mist Condor. The monster ruffled its feathers in annoyance.

Negi nodded. "As you said earlier, don't underestimate my Condor because like your Wolf it'll be getting an attack power bonus. When Special Summoned by its own card effect, Mist Condor's attack becomes a formidable 1700 points!"

Kotarou's eyes widened. "Wait what?"

ATK-1700

"With the attack bonus it's more than enough to take out your Wolf." Negi smiled as Wolf, seemingly acting on instincts by all rights a hologram shouldn't possess, lowered its hackles and whimpered. "The hunter now becomes the hunted!"

Mist Condor shrieked and flapped its wings, taking off into the air. Once it reached a certain height, it swooped down and picked Wolf up in its talons. Wolf howled as Mist Condor crushed it, shattering it into pixels.

Kotarou- 3800

"I Set one card and end my turn." A holographic face-down card appeared. Mist Condor swooped back down and returned to its original position. It tilted its head back, looking down on Kotarou.

Kotarou growled and put his hand on his Deck.

"Looks like I'll have to step up my game a little. Draw!" He took a card from his hand and placed it on his disk. "I summon the Mad Dog of Darkness in attack mode!" A demonic looking dog with horns and glowing red eyes appeared on the field. It gnashed its teeth, slobbering onto the floor. Around its neck was a collar with an accessory hanging off it, with a M engraved on it.

ATK-1900

"Mad Dog of Darkness, show that bird brain why you're the top dog on this field!" The Mad Dog of Darkness released a bone chilling howl as it bounded forward.

"Set card activate!" Negi declared, pressing a button on his Duel Disk. Once he pressed it, his face-down card revealed itself. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card Swallow's Nest!"

"And just what does that do?" Kotarou asked, frowning as his Mad Dog paused its attack until the card effect resolved.

"I can Tribute a Winged-Beast monster on my side of the field in order to Special Summon another Winged-Beast monster from my Deck with the same Level as the Tributed monster."

"Say what?!"

"And so, I Tribute my Mist Condor to Special Summon the Mist Valley Falcon from my Deck." Mist Condor dispersed into a fine mist and a new monster was reformed. A white haired man wielding a sword and shield, with two brown feathered wings on his back appeared. He smirked as he lifted his sword up to rest on his shoulder.

ATK-2000

"2000 attack points?! Mad Dog of Darkness, stop your attack! Stand down!" Mad Dog growled but did as it was told, trotting back over to its master. Kotarou glared at the new monster. "Tch."

"Wow, nice play." Konoka clapped, smiling at what she saw. "He didn't see that coming!"

Asuna grunted. "It was alright, I guess."

"Ok, I admit, that wasn't bad." Kotarou admitted, not looking happy about having to. "You're not the only guy who can play face-downs though." He took two cards out of his hand and slid them into his disk, leaving him with one card left in his hand. "With that I end my turn." Two hologram cards appeared behind Mad Dog of Darkness. "Your turn."

Negi nodded. "My turn, draw." He placed the card he drew on his duel disk. "I Summon Genex Ally Birdman in attack mode." A small, green humanoid looking parrot thing appeared next to Mist Valley Falcon.

ATK-1400

Falcon glanced down to the little creature. His smirk grew, and he rolled his shoulder.

"Set card, activate!" Kotarou grinned as he pressed a button on his duel disk.

Konoka gasped as a familiar card turned upwards. "Slip Summon!"

"It's the card he used against me!" Asuna frowned, thinking back to her duel. She gasped. 'If his first face-down was Slip Summon, then the other is probably…'

"When my opponent Summons a monster I can Special Summon a monster from my hand. That's the power of my Slip Summon card!" Kotarou took the last card in his hand and placed it on his duel disk. "I Special Summon Shiba-Warrior Taro in attack mode!" Shiba-Warrior Taro barked as it appeared next to Mad Dog of Darkness, not at all intimidated by the beastly canine next to it.

ATK-800

"Not bad, huh?" Kotarou smirked, resting his hand on his hip; Negi sweat-dropped.

"Um, yes…" He said, though it sounded more like a question than an answer. "A-Anyway, since my Genex Ally Birdman is a Tuner monster, I'm going to do a Synchro Summon!"

Kotarou's grin faltered a little. "Sychro Summon?"

"This kid has a Synchro Monster as well?" Asuna was baffled; just where were these kids coming from?

"That's right! By Tuning my Level 4 Mist Valley Falcon, with my Level 3 Tuner monster Genex Ally Birdman, I commence with a Synchro Summon!" Mist Valley Falco smirked and flew into the air, with Genex Ally Birdman following him. Birdman burst into blue energy. "Come, Spirits of Wind and Lightning! Let the Southern Storm Blow With Lightning!" Green rings appeared above Mist Valley Falcon and it entered them. It turned into a beam of light that pierced through the rings. "Synchro Summon! Mist Valley Thunder Lord!" A large, humanoid, multi-coloured creature appeared on the field. It had black wings and a staff in hand.

ATK-2600

"Mist Valley Thunder Lord, attack!" Negi commanded.

Kotarou smirked and quickly pressed a button on his duel disk. "Trap card activate!"

Asuna glared at the card as it was revealed. "Urgent Tuning! I knew it!"

"Looks like you remember my Trap card!" Kotarou said, sending her a quick glance. He returned his gaze back to Negi. "She's already familiar with this card, but I'll explain it for you-"

"Urgent Tuning is a Trap card that allows the user to perform a Synchro Summon using monsters on your side of the field during the Battle Phase." Negi smiled as Kotarou blinked. "I'm familiar with all cards in relation to Synchro Summoning. It's best to have a complete knowledge of a Duel Monsters game mechanic when using it, don't you agree?"

Kotarou's mouth inched open, speechless for a moment. "Uh…I guess?"

"He's very knowledgeable about Duel Monsters." Konoka said, looking at Asuna.

Asuna turned her head, frowning at the smile on the other girls face. "What?"

Konoka grinned.

"What!?"

"Anyway…" Kotarou snapped out of his trance-like state and continued. "Using my Urgent Tuning I'll tune the Level 4 Mad Dog of Darkness with the Level 2 Tuner monster, Shiba-Warrior Taro, to summon a brand new creature!"

The Mad Dog of Darkness jumped into the air, and Shiba-Warrior Taro dispersed into blue energy.

"Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius! You who Scorch the Heavens! Tear Apart These Earthbound, Toothless Dogs!" Green rings appeared above the Mad Dog of Darkness and it entered them. It turned into a beam of light that pierced through the rings. "Synchro Summon! Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!" Out of the light appeared a bipedal blue wolf covered in spikes, with two wolf heads for hands.

ATK- 2400

'When he destroys my Celestial Wolf Lord, I'll take out his weakened Mist Valley Thunder Lord on my next turn!' Kotarou snickered, watching with anticipation as Mist Valley Thunder Lord raised its staff.

Negi grinned. "Mist Valley Thunder Lord, stop your attack!"

Mist Valley Thunder Lord halted in place. It lowered its arm, standing down.

"He stopped his attack?!" Asuna said out loud, and then, much quieter, she muttered "You can do that?"

Hearing her, Konoka sighed. "Kotarou-san literally just did that exact same thing."

Asuna flushed at the paraphrasing of her own words.

"Why did you stop your attack?!" Kotarou demanded, glaring at his opponent. 'He wasn't supposed to do that!'

"When there is a change in the number of monsters on the field a replay occurs, and the player whose Battle Phase it is can either cancel their attack or continue." Negi explained, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

"I know _how_ you stopped it!" Kotarou snapped, pointing at Negi his glare deepening. "I'm not some stupid bells-for-brains dead last!" Asuna glared. "I asked you _why_!"

Negi tilted his head to the side, looking confused and innocent. "Why are you complaining? I didn't destroy the monster you worked so hard to summon."

Kotarou flinched, taking a step back.

Negi's face of innocence changed into a mischievous grin. "Is it because you wanted me to destroy it? After all, if I destroyed the Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius then my monster would have been weakened by its **Blue Sublimation**."

Kotarou's eyes bulged. "Y-You knew? How?!"

"Like I said, I'm familiar with Synchro Summoning. I may not know about every single Synchro monster in Duel Monsters, but I certainly know about Blue Sirius."

"Grrr." Kotarou literally growled like one of his canine beasts, fists clenched and shaking.

"I'll Set one card and end my turn."

'Damn it, this guy…he's not bad.' Kotarou closed his eyes, trembling with irritation. 'But I'm better!' His eyes snapped open. "My turn draw!" He looked at his card and smirked. "I admit, I'm impressed that you know about Blue Sirius' **Blue Sublimation** , so kudos on that. However, if you're not going to destroy it on your own I'll make you destroy it!" He slapped his new card on his duel disk. "I summon the Assault Dog, in attack mode!" An armoured dog with machine guns mounted on its sides appeared on the field.

ATK-1200

"Now I'll make my Celestial Wolf Lord go kamikaze on your Mist Valley Thunder Lord so after it's weakened by its **Blue Sublimation,** it can then be picked off by Assault Dog's attack!" He pointed at Mist Valley Thunder Lord. "Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius charge! **Wolf's Fang**!" Blue Sirius howled with all three heads and charged. The mouths on its hands opened wide, ready to chomp down.

"If his monster lands its attack then Negi's monster will be down to 200 attack points!" Konoka pointed out, biting her lower lip. "And then Assault Dog can take it out with no trouble!"

"I activate my Trap!"

Kotarou's eyes widened. "A Trap?!" He thought back to a couple of minutes ago, specifically about the face-down Negi Set. "Damn! I forgot all about that!"

Negi's Trap card flipped face up.

"My Compulsory Evacuation Device activates!" In front of Mist Valley Thunder Lord appeared a strange looking machine, with an open door on the front with a red 'Entrance' sign above it. "This card allows me to send one monster on the field back to the hand!" Negi smirked. "Or as in the case of a Synchro monster like your Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius, to the Extra Deck!"

"No! My Wolf Lord!" Kotarou watched, helpless as his monster ran straight into the machine. Once it entered, metal doors with yellow and black bars around them closed shut. The machine jiggled a bit, and the top exploded open as Celestial Wold Lord, Blue Sirius was fired from it. In mid-air the monster turned into a beam of red light that flew towards Kotarou's duel disk. The Extra Deck holder opened and the beam entered it, and it closed again. Negi's Compulsory Evacuation Device shattered into pixels, leaving only Assault Dog and Mist Valley Thunder Lord on the field. "Damn you! Now my Assault Dog is left wide open!"

"Amazing!" Konoka clapped her hands together once, her expression impressed. "He knew that if Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius was destroyed then his monster would be weakened, so instead of destroying it he just removed it from the field! It's the perfect counter for that monster!"

"So that's how you beat that thing…" Asuna frowned, looking away to the side. "Wish I knew that earlier."

"You…" Kotarou growled out the word. "Since I just summoned it I can't switch Assault Dog into defence mode, so I'll have to leave it as it is, meaning my life-points are now defenceless!" With nothing more he could do, Kotarou ended his turn. Negi drew a card and grinned.

"I summon the Mist Valley Thunderbird in attack mode." What looked like a yellow peacock appeared next to Mist Valley Thunder Lord.

ATK-1100

"I activate the effect of Mist Valley Thunder Lord! By returning one card on my side of the field to my hand, Mist Valley Thunder Lord gains 500 attack power until the End Phase."

"It does what?!" Kotarou grit his teeth as Mist Valley Thunderbird turned into a beam of light and returned to Negi's hand, and Mist Valley Thunder Lord's attack points increased.

ATK- 3100

If that wasn't enough, a card in Negi's hand began to glow, and a beam of light shot from it to the field. When the light died down, Mist Valley Thunderbird was back on the field.

"What? Why is your chicken back?" Kotarou asked.

"When Mist Valley Thunderbird is returned to the hand it is immediately Special Summoned back to the field." Negi explained; Kotarou gulped, glancing at Mist Valley Thunder Lord. Negi noticed this and smiled. "Don't worry, I can only use Mist Valley Thunder Lord's effect once per turn."

Kotarou sighed, relieved.

"Now, then."

Kotarou tensed again

"I'll attack your Assault Dog with Mist Valley Thunder Lord!" Mist Valley Thunder Lord raised its staff into the air. The tip began to crackle, and lightning fired from the end, blasting Assault Dog.

Kotarou grit his teeth as his monster exploded, taking a chunk of his life-points with it.

Kotarou- 1900

Kotarou grunted as the smoke from the explosion cleared. Prising his eyes open, he declared; "Monster effect activate!"

Negi blinked, taken aback. "Monster effect?"

Kotarou frowned, then smirked.

"Oh, you've never heard about Assault Dog's special monster effect?" He chuckled smugly. "Guess you're not such a know-it-all after all. Well then let me educate you! When my Assault Dog is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard I can then Special Summon as many Assault Dogs as possible directly from my Deck!" He raised his duel disk into the air, and his deck began to glow. Two beams of light shot out from his deck and down to the field. As promised, two more Assault Dogs were summoned.

ATK-1200

ATK-1200

"Remember what I said before; wolves hunt better in packs, but the same can also be said for dogs!" He looked down at his newly summoned monsters, a slight frown on his face. "You may or may not know this, but dogs are descended from the mighty wolf."

Negi blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topic.

"Generations of selective breeding has diluted their wolf DNA, turning them into domesticated house pets." He looked over to Asuna and Konoka, and then over towards a large building in the distance. "Sure dogs can still be dangerous, but they've lost most of their instincts! If a dog were to fight a wolf it would be decimated!" He turned back to Negi, a fire in his eyes.

"That's why I challenge those Mahora kids to Ante Duels. I want to show them that their fancy schooling and expensive facilities are nothing compared to the skills honed in the wild. Cold, hard experience is what makes a good duellist. You can't get that by sitting in a classroom like some kind of Labrador lying next to the fire!" He glared at the two students nearby. "By showing you Mahora dogs your place, I'm proving that my wild duelling is better than your stiff class taught duelling!" He looked back at Negi. "So don't think I'm going to let you win this duel and take back the card I won. I proved that I was a better duellist more suited to use it than that girl over there. A wolf needs a powerful pack to stay on top of the food chain!"

"Shove your speech up your ass!" Asuna yelled, getting everyone's attention put straight onto her. "What's your problem anyway? Talking about packs and stuff! As far as I can tell you're just some loner brat who has a bunch of lackeys to do his bidding! You're not a wolf, that ain't a pack! Just a bunch of street punks trying to justify taking peoples cards with speeches and so-called ideals!"

"Silence from the peanut gallery!" Kotarou snapped. "I wouldn't expect some weak dog to understand the mentality of a wolf! At the end of the day, you were weak so you lost your card. I was strong so I took it! That's survival of the fittest, and between a dog and a wolf the wolf is much fitter!"

"No, she's right!" Negi yelled, and once again the attention shifted. "No matter how you try to justify it, tricking people into Ante Duels and taking their rarest card is just wrong!" Negi closed his eyes and brought his fist up to his heart. "How many people have you hurt by taking their precious cards away from them? Cards that they've bonded with and have fond memories of? By taking them away you've also taken away a part of themselves. They must feel terrible. The cards you've taken have left a hole in their hearts."

"Cards are just that, cards!" Kotarou countered, angrily swiping his hand to the side. "They can be replaced."

"Cards can be replaced, but the heart can't!" Negi argued.

"Then it's really gonna suck for you when I take your one of a kind Legendary Spell card!" Kotarou growled. "Cus then you'll lose both your card _and_ _your_ _heart_!" He swiped a card from his deck in a violent movement. "Level 4 Assault Dogs, Overlay!"

The two monsters turned into light and swirled together, and Negi's eyes widened.

"Overlay?!"

"He's going to Xyz Summon?!" Konoka gasped.

Asuna's mouth fell open. "No way, first a Synchro, and now a Xyz?!" A portal appeared in front of Kotarou, and the lights that the Assault Dogs turned into went inside.

"With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon! Come, Rank 4 Diamond Dire Wolf!" A large wolf made of diamonds, with armoured legs with large diamond spikes coming from the joints jumped out of the portal and howled. Two orange orbs of light orbited around it.

ATK-2000

"Now that I've summoned my Diamond Dire Wolf, it's all over for you!" Kotarou gloated, slamming the one card in his hand onto the duel disk. "I summon Outstanding Dog Marron in attack mode!" A cute little puppy appeared next to Diamond Dire Wolf. Around its neck was a collar, with a bone shaped accessory hanging from it. The accessory had a capital M on it.

ATK-100

"This little pupper isn't so outstanding by himself, but it's his special monster effect that really makes him stand out! And speaking of monster effects, I activate Diamond Dire Wolf's!"

Negi gulped, knowing it wouldn't be good for him.

"By detaching one of the Overlay Units attached to Diamond Dire Wolf I can activate its special monster effect!" One of the orbiting orbs flew into Diamond Dire Wolf's open mouth. It swallowed the orb and began to glow orange, the same colour as the orb.

"First, I target one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged-Beast-Type monster on my side of the field, like my Outstanding Dog Marron. Next, I choose one monster on your side of the field, like your Mist Valley Thunder Lord. With my choices made, Diamond Dire Wolfs effect now causes both monsters to be destroyed!"

"Oh no, my monster!" Negi took a step back, looking at Mist Valley Thunder Lord.

"That's right, say goodbye to your Thunder Lord!" Kotarou laughed as Diamond Dire Wolf let loose an ear-splitting howl. " **Diamond Devastation**!" In unison, the ground beneath Outstanding Dog Marron and Mist Valley Thunder Lord cracked and shattered as huge diamond spikes shot up from the ground.

The two monsters cried out as they were pierced by the spikes, their cries echoing as they shattered along with the spikes.

"Your monster's mincemeat, while mine…" He held up Outstanding Dog Marron's card for all to see. "Gets shuffled back into my deck, thanks to Outstanding Dog Marron's effect." He returned the card to the deck, and the duel disk shuffled it for him. "And let's not forget, I still have my Battle Phase yet."

"My Mist Valley Thunderbird!" Negi looked at his monster, which trembled as the Diamond Dire Wolf towered above it, muzzle lifted into a ferocious snarl.

"That's right! Diamond Dire Wolf is going to rip that stupid bird of yours into chicken strips!" Diamond Dire Wolf growled and bent down on its powerful, armour bound legs. Pushing off from the ground it flew across the field, landing on Mist Valley Thunderbird. The monster squawked as it was ripped apart by the wolf's killer fangs.

Negi- 2900

"I end my turn."

Negi grimaced, staring down the ferocious wolf looming over him. Just behind the beast, Kotarou laughed.

"I hope your next turn's a good one; otherwise your Raigeki is mine!"

* * *

Chapter end

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

_Last time, on Ne-Gi-Ma!, Negi challenged Kotarou to a duel to recover Asuna's Odd-Eyes Dragon card. After sending Kotarou's Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius back to the extra deck, Negi defeated the Assault Dog Kotarou had left on the field with his Mist Valley Thunder Lord. However, Assault Dog's effect allowed Kotarou to summon two more, which he used to Xyz summon the Diamond Dire Wolf. Using Diamond Dire Wolf's effect, Kotarou destroyed Mist Valley Thunder Lord and then attacked Negi's Mist Valley Thunderbird, leaving Negi's field completely open._

 _Can Negi turn this duel around, or will Kotarou walk away with not only Asuna's Odd-Eyes Dragon, but with Negi's Raigeki too? Find out this time on Ne-Gi-Ma!_

* * *

Chapter 3- Bolt out of the Blue (part three)

* * *

"This is bad." Konoka said, glancing between Negi and Kotarou's giant wolf monster.

"That brat might be a colossal jerk, but he's good." Asuna said, looking at Negi who was drawing a card from his deck. "The other brat's good as well, but he's going to have to play even better if he's going to win." She watched as he bit his lower lip.

"I Set one monster in Defence Position and end my turn."

"He's screwed." She deadpanned.

"Ha! Not so high and mighty now, are you?" Kotarou jeered, drawing a card. He looked at it and grinned. "I summon the Gene-Warped Warwolf in attack mode!" The four-armed monstrosity from his previous duel appeared on the field.

ATK-2000

"With a monster this powerful I don't even need to use Diamond Dire Wolf's effect! Gene-Warped Warwolf take out his defending monster, and then Diamond Dire Wolf attack him directly!" The two monsters charged forwards, one on two legs and the other on four. Gene-Warped Warwolf roared as it slammed all four of its arms down the face-down monster, revealing it to be what looked like a mix between a parrot and a peacock. It shattered instantly. Diamond Dire Wolf then ran past its fellow and leapt at Negi, latching onto him with its fangs.

"AAAHH!" He cried out, taking a massive hit to his life-points.

Negi- 900

"Are you ok?!" Konoka ran over to the boy as he fell to one knee, clutching his shoulder. Though surprised when she knelt next to him, he still managed a small smile.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, thank you." It didn't actually hurt, being a hologram and all, but the Yukihiro Group's technology was so advanced that it really had seemed like a giant wolf had charged at him. His reaction was his base instincts responding to danger.

After giving him a serious stare for a moment, Konoka nodded. "Ok then, good." She leant forward a little and gave him a wink. "Good luck. I know you can do it!"

Negi stared, then smiled wide. "Un! Yeah!"

Konoka giggled then ran back to Asuna, who was looking at her funny.

"It's just a hologram you know; the brat wasn't in danger or anything."

Konoka just knocked herself on the head, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth. "Hee hee."

'She's right, this isn't over yet.' Negi, determined, drew a card. "My turn, draw!" His breathing stopped when he saw what he drew. Taking a deep breath, he smiled at the card. 'Father…looking out for me again, huh?'

"That better be a good card you drew, otherwise this duel is mine, along with your rarest legendary card!" Kotarou taunted, his grin as smug as could be. He was fully confident in his victory; one could say to the point of arrogance. But to him, it was now a foregone conclusion. 'If it's a trap I'll just sacrifice Gene-Warped Warwolf to destroy it and then attack with Diamond Dire Wolf. This game is mine!'

"My rarest card?" Negi repeated, looking up at Kotarou with a little grin. "Do you mean…" He held up the card he drew. "This card?"

"R-RAIGEKI!" Kotarou almost screamed. His mouth fell open and he took a step back. "N-No way…How could you have possibly drawn that card now of all times?!"

"Because my bond with this card is strong, and my deck responded our bond by giving it to me." Negi told him. "That…or it was really good luck, but I like to think the former is true. It sounds nicer, eh?" He smiled, tilting his head to the side.

"Bonds, don't screw with me!" Kotarou snapped. "It was luck! Sheer dumb luck!"

"Luck is a big part of the game, Kotarou-kun. A large part of Duel Monsters is building a deck with cards that work well together. After that, all you can do is rely on luck to give you the right cards, as well as your own knowledge to use the cards you're given correctly." Negi placed his hand on his Duel Disk, smiling down at it. "I put a lot of my heart into building this deck, using my knowledge to know which cards work best with others. The deck I poured my heart and soul into, the cards that I bonded with; I'm sure that they responded to my determination."

"He's really smart!" Konoka praised, smiling. "Not to mention a wonderful duellist."

Asuna huffed, crossing her arms. "He's alright…I guess." Despite her words, she couldn't help but ponder on his own. 'Heart, huh…'

"I activate the Spell card, Raigeki!" Negi declared, slotting the card into his duel disk. "This card allows me to destroy all monsters on your side of the field, regardless of their position." Negi closed his eyes and started chanting. "Heed the contract and serve me, O King of the Skies. Come forth, blazing thunder, slayer of Titans!" Thunder rumbled overhead, and the sky darkened as black clouds rolled in. Lightning crackled in the clouds, flashes of light giving Negi an eerie glow "Hurl down lightning one hundred and even one thousand times!" His eyes snapped open "Raigeki!" An ear shattering CRACK signalled the descent of two bolts of lightning crashing down to the ground. All present covered their eyes, the light threatening to blind them all.

"NOOO! MY MONSTERS!" Kotarou screamed, peaking through his fingers to see them cry out as the lightning coursed through them. As one, they shattered into a million pixels. "DAMN YOU!"

"That was incredible." Konoka whispered, her eyes wide and filled with wonder. "We just witnessed one of the Legendary Spells in action…"

"…" Asuna said nothing, looking up as the skies started to clear up. 'W-What was up with that? There's no way that was just a hologram…is there?'

"Raigeki has cleared your field." Negi said, as if it wasn't already obvious. Kotarou's glare told him that he clearly didn't appreciate the observation. "Leaving your life-points open to attack! I summon the Mist Valley Soldier in attack mode." A man with a blue scarf wrapped around his mouth appeared on the field. He had two large, pale blue wings coming out of his back, and his hair was tied back in two thin ponytails. Clutched in each hand was two short swords, held in different directions in each hand.

ATK-1700

"Mist Valley Soldier, attack his life-points directly!" The winged soldier flapped his wings and flew forward. His blades gleamed in the light as they arced.

Kotarou grunted as they passed through him.

Kotarou- 200

"You…" Kotarou ground the words out through his teeth, clenching his fists. 'This is the worst! I have no cards in my hand whatsoever! If I don't draw a monster that I can summon, I'm finished!' His right fist trembled for a moment, then it tightened. "My turn, draw!" Kotarou, in a slow motion drew a card. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and feel the shaking in his fingers. With the card removed from his deck, he gulped and took a look at it. His eye's widened. 'This card!' He stared at the card, taking in the picture and the description written under it. He closed his eyes and pressed the card against his forehead. 'Of all the cards in my deck, it just had to be _this_ card.'

"Hey brat, what's wrong? Upset because you're going to lose?" Asuna taunted, her mood better than it had been for the entire duel. She smirked as she saw him in the same desperate position he had put her in earlier.

Kotarou's eyes snapped open.

"Lose?" He muttered, pulling the card back and looking at Mist Valley Soldier. "I'm…going to lose…" He moved his gaze to Negi. 'He looks confident…like there's nothing I can do to win…' He looked back to his card and frowned. 'Like hell I'm going to lose to this kid! I may not like this card, but it's my only option right now.' "I Set a monster in face-down Defence mode and end my turn." He looked back to Negi and managed a small grin. 'If you're so confident, then what will you do about this?'

'He set a monster? Either it's a last-ditch attempt to stall, or it has some kind of effect. It could be a wall monster or a Flip Effect monster. The first wouldn't be an issue, but the second might.' "My turn, draw." He looked at his card, and smiled. 'Just what I need!' "I'm not sure what your strategy is Kotarou-kun, but with this card I'll shed some light on the situation!" He put the spell card in his duel disk. "Spell card activate; Swords of Revealing Light!" Three green swords of, as the name might suggest, light fell onto Kotarou's set monster. "The magic of the Swords of Revealing Light reveals your Set monster and prevents it and any other monsters you summon from attacking for three full turns!"

The card flipped up causing a holographic representation of it to appear. The revealed monster, like many of Kotarou's cards, looked like a dog. However, unlike all of his other monsters this one had no flesh, merely bones. Around its neck was a collar, with an accessory hanging off it, with a white M in the centre.

"Ha! You may have revealed what my monster is but that won't help you!" Kotarou grinned, his confidence quickly returning. "My Skull Dog Marron may look like a fragile bag of bones, but its Defence power is nothing to scoff at!"

DEF-2000

"This undead pooch has been waiting for its master for 1000 years, so don't think it's going to be easy to get it to move out of the way." Kotarou sneered and looked down his nose at the monster. "Pretty pathetic, right? Waiting that long for some guy who's long dead? The only thing it's good for is defending." The skeletal head of the dog drooped a little.

"I don't think it's pathetic at all." Negi said, glaring at Kotarou with firm eyes. "I think it's loyalty to its friend is amazing. It never gave up hope he was alive, even after all these years." Negi looked down, his eyes misting up. "Even if others say otherwise." He looked back up, blinking to clear his eyes. "So please, don't call your card pathetic when it responded to you in your time of need."

"Huh? Are you prattling on about bonds with cards again?" Kotarou shook his head. "Don't be stupid, I just so happened to draw a card with a good defence. That's all."

"Is it also chance that the last card you draw before the end of the duel was a card that clearly means a lot to you?"

Kotarou's eyes widened.

"Mean a lot to me? I couldn't care less about this card, in fact I hate it!" He gestured to the monster with an angry jerk. "It's just so damned pathetic that _I'd_ be an asshole to just abandon it like its master did!" He closed his eyes, and took a shuddering breath. After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, "I found this card after my family left me in an orphanage."

Negi blinked, looking surprised at this sudden explanation.

"It was the day after they left me there, I was still crying my eyes out about it. The orphanage staff kept trying to talk to me, but they just didn't get it!"

" _Shut up! Leave me alone!" Six-year-old Kotarou yelled, running past two adults, who called after him uselessly. Running through out of the front door, he ran over to the gate that kept him locked in the orphanage. Gripping the bars, he shook them. "AAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!" He screamed. Once he stopped, he slid to his knees, hands falling to the ground to hold him up. "Why…why'd they leave me here?" He sniffed, tears trailing down the side of his face. As he looked down, he noticed something lying on the ground, just outside the gate._

" _What's that?" The strange item temporarily distracted him from his worries. With the curiosity that all six-year olds contain, he reached through the bars and grabbed hold of the item. Pulling it to him, through the gate, his eyes widened when he saw what it was. "A Duel Monsters card?" Excited, he turned it over. "S-Skull…Dog…Marron?" He read out loud. His reading skills weren't the best, but he could just about make out the words written on the card._

' _A lost dog that wandered off 1000 years ago. He's still waiting for his master to come for him.'_

" _1000 years…" Kotarou repeated, frowning down at the card. "…Will I have to wait that long for my family to get me?" The idea angered him, and he grit his teeth. "No way! I won't be like it! I don't wanna wait for them at all!" He glared at the card and dropped it, stomping away. "They left me here, so forget them!" He stormed off a few steps. He paused. Looked back. He went back and picked the card up. He stared at it for a moment, before pocketing it and going back inside._

"I keep this card around as a reminder that I don't need a family or friends! All I need is a pack that serves under me!"

"B-Boss?" One of his lackeys finally spoke, looking at him uncertainly.

"Shut up idiot! Butt out of this!" He snapped, before returning his glare to Negi. "This card is just a means to an end. I don't have any kind of bond with it, or whatever!"

"You're wrong about that, Kotarou-kun."

"What?!"

"You do have a bond with that card." Negi said. "You feel sorry for it, and you relate to it. You sympathise with it, and in return Skull Dog Marron can feel your sympathy and it responds with its loyalty. That's why you drew it, because it knew you were in a pinch and it wanted to help the one that helped you this time."

"Grr, just shut up with the spiritual mumbo jumbo and end your turn already, there's nothing you can do with a monster that weak!"

"I'm not finished with my turn yet, Kotarou-kun." Negi said. "After all, I still have one card left in my hand, a card you're already familiar with."

"Say what?"

"I summon the Mist Valley Shaman in attack mode!" The blonde woman from earlier appeared on the field, next to Mist Valley Soldier.

ATK-1200

"That card's still not powerful enough to defeat my Skull Dog Marron!" Negi nodded.

"You're right, she isn't. But she doesn't have to be, because Mist Valley Soldier is going to get your immovable Skull Dog Marron out of the way!"

"How? Mist Valley Soldier is 300 points weaker, and you've got no cards left to power it up with!" Kotarou crossed his arms. "Just end your turn!"

"It's true that I have no way to empower my Mist Valley Soldier, but his special monster effect means I don't need to!"

"Monster effect?" Kotarou repeated, swallowing a small amount of saliva that had suddenly built up.

"That's right. When Mist Valley Soldier battles a monster, and that monster is not destroyed by the battle, the monster is returned to its owner's hand!"

"It does what?!" Kotarou yelped, taking a step back in shock.

"If Mist Valley Soldier sends Skull Dog Marron back to his hand…" Konoka started, her eyes widened, and Asuna finished her sentence for her.

"Then he's open to a direct attack!"

"Go, Mist Valley Soldier, return Skull Dog Marron to its master's hand!" Mist Valley Soldier nodded and took off, flying towards Skull Dog Marron with a single flap of his wings. His blades bounced off its bony head, doing no damage to it.

Negi- 600

Beneath Skull Dog Marron's feet, a flurry of wind started to build up. The wind got stronger and stronger, until it was lifted into the air by the current. As it flew up, it turned into a beam of light and flew towards Kotarou's hand. Kotarou gaped at it.

"It looks like Skull Dog Marron's 1000 year long wait…is finally over." Konoka whispered, wiping her eyes swiftly. "It's almost kind of sweet, in a way."

Asuna just gave her a funny look. "…You're really weird sometimes Konoka…" She shook her head and returned attention back to the end of the duel.

"No way… I'm really… gonna lose…" Kotarou fell to his knees. "I never lose…"

"There's a first time for everything, Kotarou-kun. Maybe now that you've lost you can understand what Duel Monsters is really all about. Mist Valley Shaman, attack him directly and take out the rest of his life-points!" The woman opened her eyes. They lit up in a pale blue light. The same light appeared around Kotarou. The boy was silent as the last of his life points vanished, followed by the holographic interfaces representing the monsters.

Kotarou- 0

"N-No way, the boss lost!"

"Let's get out of here!" Kotarou's loss knocked his lackeys out of their confident demeanours and they fled, a shocked Kotarou left behind in their dust. A shadow fell over him, and when he raised his head he saw Negi standing over him with his hand outstretched. Kotarou stared blankly at it for a moment, before sighing. He reached into his pocket and pulled Odd-Eyes Dragon out.

"Here, I'm a man of my word, even if I lose." He held the card out to Negi, avoiding eye contact with the other boy. However, his eyes jumped straight to Negi when instead of taking the card, he took Kotarou's wrist instead.

Negi smiled at the other boy's confused expression. "That was a good duel, Kotarou-kun."

Kotarou looked from Negi's face to the hand grasping his wrist, his expression looking lost. With an aggravated grunt he pulled his wrist free and stood up. "Just take the damn card already."

Negi accepted the card with a smile. He blinked when Kotarou started to walk away, hands in his pockets.

"Where do you think you're going, you brat?" Asuna demanded, standing in Kotarou's way. Hands on hips, she glared down at the boy. "You think I'll let you walk away so easily?"

"You want to try and stop me?" Kotarou smirked, though it was obviously strained.

"A-Ah! P-Please don't fight!" Negi ran between the two of them, waving his hands wildly. "E-Everything's ok now, r-right! I got your card back, Asuna-san!" He waved Odd-Eyes Dragon under her nose, causing her to flinch back.

"Like hell everything's fine! I'm not letting this punk get away with all of this—and give me that!" She swiped the card from his hand. She brought it to her face, checking for any damages. Satisfied, she pushed Negi out of the way. "Now look here you b- huh?! Where'd he go!?"

Negi rubbed the small of his back from his position on the floor. At Asuna's words he glanced up to see Kotarou vanish back into the alleyway. He sighed and went to stand up, but something on the ground caught his attention.

"That damn brat! Just wait until I get my hands on him!" Asuna fumed, glaring around the street for the boy. She heard Konoka sigh and felt her hand on her arm.

"Asuna, let's just drop it for now. Besides, Negi-kun won your Odd-Eyes Dragon back for you, so it's ok now, right?" Instead of the calming effect she was going for, Konoka was disappointed when her words got Asuna even more riled up.

"Like hell it is!" She spun around to give Negi a piece of her mind. "Listen here you br- HE'S GONE AS WELL!" Asuna pulled on her twin tails, teeth grinding in fury. "What is it with these kids and vanishing as soon as I turn my back on them! This is why I hate kids!"

"One of "these kids" wouldn't happen to have had red hair, would they?" A voice came from behind.

"Gah!"

"S-Sensei!"

* * *

Kotarou kicked a trash can, cursing at the flare of pain it caused. "Damn it!"

"Kotarou-kun!"

Kotarou's brow twitched as Negi came around the corner. He resolved to ignore him and carried on further down the alley.

"Kotarou-kun, wait, you forgot something!"

"Look, you won that card off me already, so you don't have to rub it in!" Kotarou snapped, turning on his heel to glare at Negi. He blinked as a card was shoved in his face.

"You left this on the ground, Kotarou-kun!" Negi said, a serious expression on his young face. "I know you'd be upset if you lost it."

"Oh yeah?" Kotarou scowled, snatching the card to look at it. His eyes widened as he realised it was Skull Dog Marron. "This is…" He blinked, then realised what Negi said; he scowled. "Like hell I'd miss this card! As if a weak card that fails when it's needed most is needed by anyone!"

"Are you talking about the card or yourself?"

"What?" Kotarou's scowl slipped off in surprise.

"That was a great duel, Kotarou-kun." Negi said with a smile. "You're an amazing duellist, and it's clear that you put a lot of heart into your deck."

"Again with that heart crap?" Kotarou scoffed, looking away and crossing his arms. "I already told you; cold, hard experience is what's needed to be a good duellist. None of that mushy nonsense."

"Then why do you have such weak Monsters in your deck?"

"Huh?" Kotarou's scowl returned with a vengeance. "You saying my deck is weak!?" He glared at Negi.

"Well, would a cold, hardened duellist use a Monster like Wolf in their deck?" Negi asked, smile still in place. "There are many more powerful cards out there than a normal Monster with only twelve-hundred attack points."

"So what if Wolf is a weak monster? It beat your stupid Watcher, didn't it?" Kotarou said, voice tinged by a growl.

"My point is, you put Wolf in your deck because it reminded you of your first ever Duel Monster card, Skull Dog Marron, right?" Negi's response wiped off Kotarou's scowl once again. "In fact, all the monsters in your deck are related to dogs and wolfs, correct? You even have cards in the same series as Skull Dog Marron, like Mad Dog of Darkness and Outstanding Dog Marron. You took your favourite card and built an entire deck based on it." Negi's smile widened. "If that isn't duelling with heart, then I don't know what is."

Kotarou, in lieu of answering, stared at the card in Negi's still outstretched hand. He was silent for a full minute, before scoffing and taking the card back; rather carefully, Negi noticed. "…" Kotarou looked at Negi, before turning around and walking off. "Don't expect me to thank you or anything."

"Oh, and Kotarou-kun?"

"What now!?" Kotarou span around, brow twitching.

"Please, stop challenging people to ante duels. It's a disservice to Skull Dog Marron and the bond you both share."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Kotarou waved his hand and continued walking. Before he reached a bend in the alleyway, however, he stopped. Spinning back around, he pointed at Negi with a determined glare. "Don't think I'm gonna take you beating and lecturing me so lightly! Next time we meet, I'll be feeding your carcass to my monsters!"

"I look forward to a rematch any time." Negi said, sweat dropping at the other boy's wording.

Kotarou just gave a feral grin and continued on his way, disappearing around the corner. As he left, the grin faded and he stared at the card in his hand. "Heart, huh? What a load of crap."

Still, he returned the card to the top of his deck.

* * *

Negi stared after where Kotarou vanished for a few seconds, before smiling and exiting the alley. 'Now that that's all sorted, maybe I can ask those two where the Academy is.' As he returned to the main street, he paused at the sight of an extra person standing with the two girls. He grinned.

"Takamichi!" He cheered as he jogged over. Asuna flinched at the call, and span around on her heel. The man himself looked over with a casual smile, raising his hand in greeting.

"Hey, Negi-kun, it's been a while."

"Yeah." Negi nodded, smiling up at the man.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold it!" Asuna yelled, catching the two guys off guard. "H-How does a brat like you know someone as amazing as Takahata-sensei!?" Her face flushed as she glanced at Takamichi, before returning her glare on the boy. "And come to think of it, what's a little kid like you even doing in this area? Elementary school is that way brat!" She pointed in a random direction, not caring where he went as long as it was away from her.

Negi flinched and backed away slightly. "Why are you being so mean? I helped you get your card back and everything." He pouted in childish frustration.

"Got your card back?" Takamichi repeated, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Asuna let out a strangled little shriek before grabbing Negi around the shoulder with one arm and dragging him close by. "N-N-Nothing to worry about, S-Sensei. Right, _brat_?" She squeezed him enough to hurt a little.

"H-Huh?"

Asuna gave Takamichi a tremulous smile before spinning around so she and Negi were facing away from him. "Just go with it brat!" She hissed into his ear, staying quiet enough so that only he could hear her. "If Sensei finds out I was in an Ante duel then I'll be in serious trouble!"

"W-Why?" Negi whispered back just as loudly.

Asuna avoided eye contact. "W-Well, they're kinda sorta maybe a little bit against school rules."

"How much is a little bit?" Negi gulped.

"Well, if you're caught doing one then you're...expelled."

"Expelled!"

"Shut up!" She slammed a hand over his mouth.

"Asuna-kun?" Takamichi watched the two with a slight frown. "Is everything alright?"

"P-Perfect, Sensei!" Asuna squeaked, spinning herself and Negi back around. "J-Just thanking this kid for helping me find my card. A-A gust of wind ripped it of of my hand, so we spent ages looking for it. Right, Konoka?"

"Eh?" Konoka blinked as the focus shifted to her. "R-Right!" She nodded rapidly. "That's why we're so late!"

"Ah, I-I see." Takamichi rubbed the back of his head, not looking entirely convinced. "Is that right, Negi-kun?"

"Um…" Negi gulped again. He paused, noticing how Asuna was shaking. Being as close as her was to her, he couldn't miss it. "Y-Yes, that's right. I found her Odd-Eyes Dragon card after the wind blew it away."

"Odd-Eyes Dragon?" Takamichi raised a brow. "You should take better care of your cards, Asuna-kun." He said to Asuna, not unkindly. "Especially one as precious to you as Odd-Eyes Dragon."

Asuna looked down. "Yes, sir." She whispered, trying to hide the tears of embarrassment pooling in her eyes. 'This damn brat! Making me look bad in front of Sensei! I won't forgive this!' She let go of Negi who took two steps back, as if sensing her thoughts.

"Well, we should get a move on." Takamichi said, looking at his watch. "We don't want to keep your new students waiting too long." He said, looking down at Negi.

"Eh?" His words snapped Asuna out of her funk, and she looked up with a frown.

"New students?" Konoka repeated, tilting her head.

"Eh?"

"Yes, Negi-kun here is going to be a teacher at Mahora Girls Middle School."

"Eh?"

"Wow, really?" Konoka clapped her hands together and looked at Negi with wide eyes. "That's amazing!"

"Hehehe." Negi rubbed the back of his head, cheeks reddening a little. "I still need to pass the test, first."

"I'm sure you'll ace it." Konoka said with a smile.

"Eh?" Asuna just stared at Negi with wide eyes, then looked at Takamichi. "Eh!?"

"He'll also be your new homeroom teacher until then."

Asuna felt her world crash around her.

"And if he passes, the change will be permanent."

"EEEEEHHHHHHHH!?"

* * *

Chapter End

* * *

 **And that's the intro. Sorry if it was a bit dragged out. I'll try to make the pacing better in the later chapters. Anyway, until next week!**


	4. Important News

**Hey guys, no chapter, but this is something much more important.**

 **Shirou Fujiumura's mom needs surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and he needs help raising money for it.**

 **You may or may not know him, but I'm sure you do. He's a great writer and he's helped me out a lot with one of my stories. I've been in his position before, my mum nearly died once because of a perforated bowel, so I know how scary it can be. He's asked me to put this author's note out, he needs help, so please go to his gofundme page! The link is on the most recent chapters of his stories Delinquency of the Red Dragon, Delinquency of the Re-duxed Dragon, and his Twitter account.**

 **I know I haven't updated this for a while, but I wanted to share this out as much as possible.**

 **Even if it's a small amount, please donate.**


End file.
